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Federal opposition parties are hoping to inspire a public backlash against what they see as the Conservatives’ increasingly autocratic governing style.

New Democrats and Liberals are hitting the road to meet with Canadians as part of a political attempt to derail the government’s 452-page omnibus budget bill.

New Democrats have held sessions in six cities, critiquing a “Trojan horse bill sneaking in hundreds of pages of harmful new measures.”

“Stephen Harper was elected on a promise of accountability,” says the party’s website, “but he runs one of the most secretive governments in memory.”

Liberals similarly have announced a partisan initiative they call “Operation spRED” — cross-Canada meetings on the “kitchen sink” budget bill.

Liberals also plan to team up with Green leader Elizabeth May to exploit a procedural mechanism in the Commons that enables May, with Grit support, to introduce endless amendments to the bill, possibly delaying the Commons summer recess.

In the past week, May reports, her party has collected 20,000-plus names on a petition opposing the budget colossus, about a third of which deals with environmental matters.

One group particularly outraged about that is the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.

The organization recently penned an open letter to the PM, lambasting “questionable and underhanded tactics” aimed at transforming — without necessary checks and balances — environmental laws in ways that could harm aboriginal interests.

The Harper government has introduced similarly massive budget bills in the past. But, when held to minority status, its attitude generally was more cooperative.

Now, as a majority government, the Harper team wants its legislation passed without fuss or bother.

Never mind that its bill rewrites 70 laws dealing with everything from Old Age Security to Employment Insurance to immigration.

Conservatives are refusing to split up the hydra-headed legislative monster to allow its contents to be scrutinized by assorted Commons committees with expertise in the various subject areas.

The budget bill is not the only evidence of a growing Conservative trend toward autocracy.

Stephen Harper by nature is decisive, disinclined to compromise and negotiate.

He has, of course, put an end to the long-standing custom of holding federal-provincial first ministers meetings. His government refused to negotiate a health funding agreement with premiers last December, instead handing them a take-it-or-leave-it deal.

And Ottawa, astonishingly, conducted no prior consultations with Atlantic premiers on EI reforms in the latest budget — despite the fact 80 per cent of EI recipients in Newfoundland and nearly 80 per cent in P.E.I. are seasonal workers who will confront big changes.

Conservatives also have moved decisively to quash labour disruptions in federally regulated companies.

Remember Canada Post?

Now, Conservatives are ordering CP Rail workers back to work. Such a blunt-force strategy, warns the opposition, will upset the delicate balance required for healthy relations between employees and the employer.

Another characteristic of the Harper government is that it brooks no dissent. Kootenay-Columbia Conservative David Wilks discovered this the hard way.

After recently revealing to his Revelstoke constituents his dissatisfaction with the over-stuffed omnibus bill, he suddenly did an awkward about-face when his view became public.

The former Sparwood mayor posted this notice on his website: “I wish to clarify my position with regard to Bill C-38 ... I support this bill, and the jobs and growth measures that it will bring for Canadians.”

Said the NDP: “Conservatives are undermining our democracy by muzzling their critics and weakening structures that hold government accountable to citizens.”

That said, the official Opposition knows the only conceivable way it can thwart the omnibus bill is to sufficiently rile taxpayers. It’s a long shot.

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